Best Secret Nailer & Specialist Flooring Tools: 2025 Expert Review
DR Joinery
Expert Joiner & Flooring Specialist
Searching for the 'best secret nailer' usually leads you toward expensive pneumatic floor nailers for the main body of the room. However, any experienced joiner will tell you that the real headache starts when you get within six inches of the wall. That's where your main secret nailer won't fit, and you need specialist kit to maintain that hidden fixing.
Working in York's Victorian terraces, I've found that walls are never square and floors are rarely level. Relying solely on a mallet-driven floor nailer isn't enough. You need precision tools to face-nail the final boards or fix delicate scotia beading without splitting the timber.
In this review, I'm looking at three specific tools that solve the 'impossible angle' problems during hardwood flooring installation: a handy palm nailer for tight spots, a heavy-duty punch for reclaimed timber, and an electric option for finishing trims.
Live in York?
Thinking about upgrading your floors?
Get a free consultation for your property.
Specs vs. The Real World
The Spec: "Secret Nailing Everything"
"You can secret nail every single board in the room."
Physics gets in the way. Once you are 10-15cm from the wall, you cannot swing the mallet for a standard floor nailer. You MUST transition to face nailing or using a palm nailer to drive nails into the tongue at an angle manually.
The Spec: "Universal Nail Guns"
"One electric nail gun can do structural flooring and delicate beading."
Not really. Structural flooring requires heavy gauge cleats to hold against movement. Fixing scotia or quadrant requires fine 18-gauge brads to avoid splitting. You need different tools for fixing the board versus finishing the trim.
My Top 3 Recommendations
Three options to cover different needs and budgets
3PLUS HMPN50SP Mini Palm Nailer
3PLUS
This little tool is a lifesaver when you reach the final few rows of flooring. Where a standard secret nailer can't fit because the wall is in the way, this palm nailer drives the nail home with pneumatic bursts. It allows you to continue 'secret nailing' into the tongue much closer to the wall than a hammer would allow.
The Good
- Allows nailing in extremely tight spaces (e.g., under radiators)
- Magnetic nose helps hold the nail, saving your fingers
- Directs exhaust away from your hand
The Bad
- Requires an air compressor (not electric)
- Vibration can be tiring if used for hours continuously
Installer Tip:
When using this to secret nail the final boards, hold the nail at a 45-degree angle into the tongue. Use a thin piece of cardboard against the painted skirting or wall to prevent the tool from scuffing the finish as it vibrates.
Priced at £27.44 at the time of writing
Check Price on AmazonAir Locker AP700 Nailer/Nail Remover Kit with Extra Driver
Air Locker
In York, we often work with reclaimed timber or have to lift old floorboards to access pipes. This tool is brilliant for two things: punching stubborn nails out of reclaimed oak so it can be re-run through a thicknesser, or punching heads deep past the surface in difficult face-nailing situations.
The Good
- Essential for preparing reclaimed floorboards (denailing)
- Powerful enough to punch nails straight through the wood
- Heavy-duty construction suitable for site work
The Bad
- Expensive if you're only laying new floorboards
- Specialised tool - not for general fixing
Installer Tip:
If you are lifting an original pine floor in a Victorian property to insulate underneath, use this to punch the cut brads straight through the board into the joist. It releases the board without splitting the timber, which pulling with a crowbar often does.
Priced at £116.59 at the time of writing
Check Price on AmazonNEU MASTER Brad Nailer, NTC0060-EU Electric Nail Gun/Staple Gun
NEU MASTER
Once the hardwood floor is down, you need to hide the expansion gap. This usually involves fitting scotia or quadrant beading. Dragging a compressor back inside for light beading is a hassle. This electric nailer is perfect for pinning those lightweight trims quickly without needing heavy equipment.
The Good
- No compressor required - plug and play
- Ideal for fixing scotia, quadrant, and light skirting
- Adjustable power helps prevent firing straight through soft mouldings
The Bad
- Not powerful enough for installing the actual hardwood flooring (finishing only)
- Corded design means you still need an extension lead
Installer Tip:
Do not attempt to use this to nail down 18mm solid oak flooring; it won't hold. Use this exclusively for the 'trim out' stage—fixing your softwood or MDF skirting and oak beading to the perimeter after the heavy work is done.
Priced at £49.99 at the time of writing
Check Price on AmazonFrequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between secret nailing and face nailing?
Why do I need a specialist nailer for the edges?
Can I use an electric brad nailer for the whole floor?
How do I fix flooring in a room with piping/radiators?
Need Professional Hardwood Flooring Installation?
Our team at DR Joinery specialises in Hardwood Flooring Installation across York.
Get a free quote for professional installation.
View Our Hardwood Flooring Installation Service